Microsoft acquires Italian start-up in IoT push

Microsoft has acquired Italian start-up Solair for an undisclosed sum in a bid to get more consumers and businesses interested in the possibilities of IoT.

The American tech giant did not disclose the exact details of the deal or how much it paid for Solair, a firm offering software and tech that connects smart objects.

Founded in 2011, Solair has made it its mission to address business needs through the Internet of Things. Customers have come from a variety of industries, including retail, food, transportation and manufacturing.

Solair expands Azure capabilities

Solair’s platform sports a variety of Internet of Things capabilities, including a data collection gateway and a feature for custom deployments. It’ll now be integrated into Azure IoT, a service Microsoft launched in February that allows businesses to manage device connectivity, data and predictive maintenance.

The company has used Azure on projects in the past. For example, it’s worked with coffee machine maker Rancilio to manage machines remotely, as well as an application that increases production capacity and energy efficiency.

Promoting the power of IoT

Writing in a blog post, Sam George, partner director at Azure IoT, said Solair shares Microsoft’s ambition in promoting the power of IoT and is thrilled they’re now part of the company.

He said: “I’m pleased to announce that Microsoft has acquired Solair, an Italian company that has been delivering innovative Internet of Things services to customers across a number of industries.

“Solair shares our ambition for helping customers harness their untapped data and create new intelligence with IoT, and this acquisition supports our strategy to deliver the most complete IoT offering for enterprises. We’re excited about their technology and talent – and delighted to welcome them to the Microsoft team.”

Deal to aid Microsoft’s offering

George added that the acquisition will help Microsoft expand and improve its current Internet of Things offering for businesses and that more details will be announced in the future. He continued his praise for the start-up.

“The integration of Solair’s technology into the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite will continue to enhance our complete IoT offering for the enterprise,” he said.

“We’ll have more specifics to share about how Solair is helping us build the intelligent cloud in the future. In the meantime, I’d like to reiterate my welcome to the Solair team.”

Solair excited for future

Talking about the new, Tom Davis, CEO of Solair, said: “I’m incredibly excited to share that Solair has been acquired by Microsoft.

“From the very start, our mission has been to help customers quickly and easily gain access to the huge benefits of the Internet of Things.

“By building our solutions based on real customer requirements that allow them to gain real value, I’m confident that Solair’s technology and talent will be able to make an important contribution to Microsoft’s Azure IoT Suite and Microsoft’s broader IoT ambitions.”